Iranian businesses and five individuals subject to sanctions as Washington continues its game of whack-a-mole to suppress an ever-growing list of front companies Iran creates to evade sanctions.
The newly named people and firms are all linked to Bank Mellat and to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), both of which were blacklisted long ago.
IRISL is especially active in creating front companies to own its ships, whose names it constantly changes to try to duck under sanctions.
The December 2 list was the ninth list issued in four months by the US Treasury Department of sanctioned Iranian institutions and people.
In a news release, Stuart Levey, the undersecretary of the Treasury, said, “As long as Iran uses front companies, cut-outs and other forms of deception to hide its illicit activities, we intend to expose this conduct and thereby counteract Iran’s attempts to evade US and international sanctions.”
Eight of the firms named were all shipping fronts operated by IRISL out of the Isle of Man between England and Ireland. They all had very English names: Ashtead, Byfleet, Cob-ham, Dorking, Effingham, Farn-ham, Gomshall and Horsham.
